Navajo Codes Talkersby nicholas gleason

“It's strange, but growing up as a child I was forbidden to speak my Native language at school. Later my country asked me to. My language helped win the war and that makes me very proud. Very proud.” — Charles Chibitty (Comanche), U.S. Army .

Some men discovered that words—in their Native languages—would be their most valued weapons.code talkers’ messages proved indecipherable to the enemy and helped the United States achieve victory in combat.U.S. government declassified the code talker programs, paving the way for the participants’ long overdue recognition. Native Words, Native Warriors tells the remarkable story of Indian soldiers from more than a dozen tribes who used their Native languages in the service of the U.S. military..When the United States issued the call to arms in World Wars I and II, American Indians answered as warriors.

By March 1941 over 7,500 American Indians had registered By the end of World War II, tribal societies had provided 25,000 servicemen, 800 nurses to the WACS and WAVES, and thousands of dollars in bond purchases and donations Over 1,250 Indians became casualties of war Indians left reservations to become urban workers in the home front effort to win the war.